The 25-year-old suffered a knee ligament injury in Uruguay's defeat to Spain on Friday. It means he likely faces a long lay-off - and now United's plans to sell him this summer are impacted.
They hoped to sign three midfielders in this transfer window, as they wanted to move him on and then find a replacement - but also wanted two other new midfielders to pad out the squad and bring new quality.
A £35million deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta has been agreed already, while the club have been trying to make progress on Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United.
Alternate players they have been looking at in the market include Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Fulham’s Sander Berge.
United had looked at Carlos Baleba from Brighton, but are not getting positive signs on his price tag. They admired Elliot Anderson, too - but he is completing a move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City.
It remains to be seen how United's midfield reconstruction can now be carried out.
Given Ugarte is injured and cannot be selected, the desire for three central midfield signings remains.
But the fact United can not sell Ugarte or move on his wages for now means they could be more limited in who they can sign for the third role.
Ugarte had been considered surplus to requirements heading into this summer, after failing to live up to his £50.8 million arrival from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.
The midfielder went down after his knee appeared to buckle during a challenge in the move that led to a Spain goal in Guadalajara. He had to leave the pitch on a stretcher, and the damage will likely lead to a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Dean Jones is a transfer news and football insider for Flashscore, since 2025. He has been a journalist on leading UK newspapers and websites over the past 20 years, establishing himself as an authoritative and trusted voice in the industry.
